News Spirit of Portopiccolo secures second maxi victory in Venice

Spirit of Portopiccolo secures second maxi victory in Venice

Venice, October 20, 2018

There are a few places in the world where maxi yachts truly ‘belong’ – Porto Cervo, St Tropez, St Barts, Newport, etc. Today Venice provided a firm reminder of why it too is on this exclusive list, when 12 maxis competed on the St. Marco Basin at the annual Venice Hospitality Challenge.

This weekend’s event, the fifth edition of the Venice Hospitality Challenge, was supported by the International Maxi Association, the officially-recognised body that oversees and promotes maxi boat racing globally. The event ties together maxi boat racing with Venice’s world-famous hotels, such as the Gritti Palace, Cipriani and Hotel Danieli.

Each of the the 11 maxis entered this year was backed by a hotel:

Yacht                     Partner hotel                          Tactician                      Type

Way of Life            The Gritti Palace                  Gasper Vincec              24m Andrej Justin design, ex-Maxi Jena

Spirit of Portopiccolo       Ca’ Sagredo Hotel        Furio Benussi              MaxZ86 ex-Morning Glory IV

Adriatic Europa               Hôtel Danieli                 Dusan Puh                   19m Vallicelli ex-Riviera di Rimini

Lupa of the Sea              SINA Centurion Palace             Fabio Cannavale            Baltic 78 ex-Lupa of London

Pendragon VI                  Hilton Molino Stucky                 Lorenzo Bodini                Davidson 69

Any Wave                       Belmond Hôtel Cipriani            Alberto Leghissa                Frers 63

New Zealand Endeavour    Hôtel Excelsior Venice           Marco Gradoni                    Ex Volvo Ocean Race winning Farr ketch

Pegaso                      Palazzina Hotel                               Massimo Boccolini                62ft 

 E-Vai                       The St. Regis Venice           Davide Bivi                                          Mylius 76

Anemos                    JW Marriott Venice Resort                   Gughi Danelon                    Farr 80

Idrusa                       Almar Jesolo Resort & Spa                Paolo Montefusco                 Farr 80/Maxi One Design

The exception was Viriella, the Maxi Dolphin 118 of IMA member Vittorio Moretti, which was backed by the city of Venice while flying the flag for both the International Maxi Association and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s "One Ocean Foundation".

Today’s  race (starting signal was at 1:50 pm) took place in light 4-6 knots winds, the fleet divided into two classes, according to their size. The bigger class was won by Spirit of Portopiccolo-Ca' Sagredo. Impressively this maxZ86 canting keel racer, once Dr Hasso Plattner’s Morning Glory, for a second year running won not only the Venice Hospitality Challenge but also the Barcolana the week before in Trieste. Supported by the Ca’ Sagredo hotel, located on Venice’s Grand Canal, Spirit of Portopiccolo won the Venice Hospitality Challenge’s ‘Doge Hat’ trophy, crafted in glass by leading Murano artisan F. B. Signoretti. Tactician on board, Furio Benussi, said: “The team is very proud of today's result. This is a very important project and we are improving every year thanks to special people within the team. Racing in Venice is unique. I am sorry my brother Gabriele could not join us today, but even so, we had a very exciting tacking duel with Way of Life...”

Way of Life and Anemos picked up the remaining places on the Class One podium.

Way of Life’s tactician was Slovenian Olympic Finn sailor Gašper Vinčec, who observed: "Racing in Venice is somehow romantic, not just exciting! This may have seemed a short race, but we worked a lot with the keel and we hoisted the gennaker at least three times. Our start was not very good, but at the end we had very good match race with Portopiccolo.”

Partnered with Way of Life was the world-famous hotel The Gritti Palace. Manager Paolo Lorenzoni said: " I am very pleased the Way of Life team have represented the Gritti Palace for the last three years. My dream would be to see ten important yacht clubs joining our hotels next year, also twinning themselves with maxi yachts."

In the smaller class Pendragon VI won ahead of Any Wave. The remaining maxis were unable to complete the course in the allocated time. Sadly Viriella was among them, as owner Vittorio Moretti explained: "Viriella is a big heavy boat, so in light winds we weren’t expected a terrific result." On board Viriella today was Yacht Club Costa Smeralda Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo and Italian sailing legend Mauro Pelaschier, there to promote the YCCS’ One Ocean environmental sustainability project.

While the Venice Hospitality Challenge has helped to put Serenissima/the City of Canals back on the maxi boat community’s map, the tie with the International Maxi Association goes back much longer.

Italian corporate titan Raul Gardini based his Il Moro di Venezia challenge for the 1992 America’s Cup here. While best known for winning the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup to line up against the US defender in the America’s Cup, Gardini was also a keen maxi boat racer and was a founder member of the International Maxi Association in 1980.

In 1990, the first of his IACC yachts was launched spectacularly surrounded by gondolas in Venice, where he also based his challenge out of the "Magazzini del Sale" (salt store). Appropriately this was the venue for today’s briefing.

Mirko Sguario, President of Yacht Club Venezia, noted: “I conceived this event some six years ago. First of all I proposed the idea to Paolo Lorenzoni (Manager of the Gritti Palace) and then he called each of the managers of 5-Star hotels in Venice. And here we are: with 12 magnificent boats and a unique race course, with the help of local authorities. The briefing this morning was held where Raul Gardini first dreamed of the presence of Venice in the maxi boat sailing world. That place is, for those of us from Venice, a kind of temple to sailing. I am so proud to see such talented crews gathered here today."

For more information on the Venice Hospitality Challenge visit http://www.venicehospitalitychallenge.it/eng/


International Maxi Association press contacts:

Maria Luisa Farris - Email: communications@internationalmaxiassociation.com Tel: +39 345 8257605 
James Boyd  - Email: press@internationalmaxiassociation.com Tel: + 44 7710 109386

International Maxi Association
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